Every year, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (OPCRH) recognizes the valuable role rural hospital administrators play in their communities. Due to COVID-19, the OPCRH canceled an annual summit to honor these accomplishments; however, OPCRH believes the administrators’ hard work and efforts is worthy of recognition, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rural hospitals play a vital role in their communities. In addition to the economic benefit they provide, they also integrate the community’s needs into their care. Many rural hospital administrators say their healthcare providers have an incredible ability to understand the needs of the community, as they are integral members of the community themselves. This also applies to administrators, and the Utah OPCRH is honored to highlight their important work.

Gunnison Valley Hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer, Brenda Bartholomew, was recognized with the COVID-19 Response/Preparedness award. During the pandemic response, she has identified strategies to prioritize the safety of both staff and patients. Ms. Bartholomew leads hospital caregivers with optimism and collaboration, and her team commended her consistent efforts to ensure staff needs and concerns are met in a timely fashion.

The Utah OPCRH team said they are proud to recognize the amazing work being done at some of Utah’s rural hospitals. The honorees and their teams serve their communities with transparency, integrity, and collaboration.